


When that Bridge Comes

by ApomaroMellow



Category: Kakumeiki Valvrave | Valvrave the Liberator
Genre: Diplomacy, International Relations, M/M, Royalty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-01
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-04-07 05:36:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 19,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4251384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApomaroMellow/pseuds/ApomaroMellow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haruto is on a simple mission to check in on things the night of the Dorssian princess' birthday. But he gets sidetracked by a beautiful noble and the rest of the night is spent in seclusion with him. While he enjoyed their short time he was content with a one night stand. So he's not prepared when their lives intersect again and this time outside the bedroom. Harueru. AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Swept Away

It was a night of cheerful socialization for Dorssian nobility. Anyone who was anyone was present at the royal palace by invitation of the princess. In the ballroom, they mingled and enjoyed themselves. Tonight was Princess Lieselotte's birthday. There was only one uninvited guest. He blended into the crowd well enough, silently observing. Every once in a while, his eyes glanced at the guest of honor, but she sat above the party goers, not doing much of anything of interest.

Haruto had been trained to judge at least that much. When a waiter came around, he took the glass of champagne offered to him, but kept at his job. Tokishima Haruto was sent from JIOR to check in on the Dorssians tonight. As people renowned for their military power, the part of a royal could be the cover for back door dealings or the like. On his own, Haruto couldn't do much to stop that, but he could at least relay the info.

His eyes scanned the room, going through the lists of names he'd memorized as well as their titles. As focused as he was, Haruto didn't realized his gaze had been stuck to one person until someone nudged him. Haruto fumbled a bit but caught himself while his one person audience snickered.

"Caught your eye, huh? That Michael Karlstein."

Michael Karlstein. The son of a duke. He was pretty high up there. Good for information. But the photograph used in his data profile did not do him any justice. Not in this beautiful dark blue regalia he was wearing right now. Michael Karlstein was breathtaking and Haruto couldn't look away.

"You should go for it if you can. He's definitely swingin' for your team. But he can be a little frosty."

If there was anything after that, Haruto didn't hear it because beauty and grace was walking right towards him. Each step brought him closer and closer until he walked right by Haruto and continued behind him. His lungs had to cry out to remind him to breath as he turned around and saw the young man approach the princess. He bowed at a distance before coming even closer and dropping to a knee to kiss the back of her hand.

They exchanged some words and then Michael stood and took his leave. Haruto actually averted his gaze this time to remain inconspicuous, but it didn't matter anymore. His wrist was grabbed and the bit of training he had would've kicked in for self defense but his education in not creating a scene took precedent and before he knew it, he was taken away from the party and into another room.

As he was slammed against the closed door and his eyes adjusted to the darkness, the first thing Haruto noticed was that he was in a bedroom. The second was the he was in a bedroom with Michael Karlstein.

"Wha-"

"What's a JIORan doing here. Answer quickly."

Haruto couldn't answer quickly because it would completely blow his cover and his tongue was a little tied with this new development.

"I said, answer", Michael pushed Haruto against the door firmly, incidentally pressing their own bodies together. He took out a pocket knife and held it to Haruto's neck threateningly. "If you've come here to harm the princess, I'll kill you."

"N-no! No You've got it all wrong. That's not why I'm here!"

"Then explain."

"I'm not here to hurt anyone. At least so long as they're not involved with anything illegal that could jeopardize JIOR."

Michael stared at him intensely and Haruto thought he'd go up in flames either from the heat of his eyes or the warmth of his body, which was even more noticeable against the cool wooden door.

"You're here to investigate any corruption that could endanger your home..." The knife by Haruto's neck slowly pulled away before Michael went back into interrogation mode and pointed it below the spy's waist. "What weapon are you hiding?"

"Wea...pon...?" As the word left his mouth, Haruto understood and was embarrassed for them both. He squeaked when it was poked lightly with the knife, which was what made his captor realize his mistake. "I'm sorry. I just...You look really nice. I've been thinking that all night. And well...you've been pushing against me for the past five minutes...so..."

"Indecent. Put that thing away." Michael stopped seeing him as a threat, so his knife went back into his hiding place. He put some space between he and Haruto.

"Even if you say that...", he looked down at his crotch. He was half hard already. "Hey...Karlstein."

His eyes narrowed. "How do you know my name?" It irked him that he didn't know this spy's name. Or even his alias. Haruto grinned cheekily at that.

"This isn't a place just anyone could sneak into. I've got my own credentials, you know." He stepped forward and closed the distance between them.

"Stop poking me with that thing unless you want me to cut it off."

"Don't be so cruel to it. Karlstein-no, Michael..."

His lavender eyes widen and for a moment he was frozen. The moment was prolonged when he felt something soft and warm on his lips. In retrospect, it shouldn't have surprised him. This man knew his surname, his given name wouldn't be that far off. It was then that he realized he was being kissed.

_'So this is what kisses are like...'_

Haruto's arms came up around his waist and pulled him even closer.

"Michael...", he breathed softly before kissing his jaw. Michael was in too much of a daze to answer. Strictly speaking, this man was the enemy. But he hated Dorssia and of the entire country only cared for the princess. The princess... Right now the JIORan's lips were doing things to his neck that the military did not prepare him for. Michael weighed the pros and cons.

If he let this man have his way with him (and frankly Michael's way if his body was being honest) then as long as they cleaned up after themselves, who would know? If he pushed him away now...Michael couldn't even finish the thought. This intruder had started to touch his behind in a way that was both obscene and made him want more. There was no way he could stop this. He didn't want to.

"Idiot. Do you participate in such unprofessional things on all of your missions?"

"If you're gonna call me anything, call me Haruto."

"Haruto?"

"That's more like it." There wasn't much more conversation after that. The morning after, Michael felt a gentle finger drawing lazy circles on his skin.

"You're still here?", he asked without opening his eyes.

"Of course. Even if this is a one night stand, I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Michael sat up very slowly, feeling an ache in his lower back.

"You're a virgin. Or you were. It can be rough the first time, but I tried being gentle." His eyes expressed just that and it nearly made Michael sick to his stomach to have someone looking at him like that.

"I'm fine. You should get out of here before someone notices you."

"You're right. Maybe we can do this again", Haruto said hopefully. Michael didn't answer, neither positively or negatively. He just started to get dressed. His movements were slow, but graceful. Haruto followed suit and soon they were both dressed.

"I'm leaving first", Michael said, stepping past his one night secret. Haruto grabbed his elbow and turned him around.

"Hey, I really enjoyed last night." He kissed Michael's lips a final time. All he got was a reply in the form of a stern stare before he pulled his arm away and left the room. That was how Michael Karlstein was swept away by Tokishima Haruto for a night.


	2. You Again

Sneaking out of the palace without the aid of a big party was no easy task. But Haruto managed it. He quickly went back to the hotel he'd been staying at and the first thing he did was type up his report. In it, he gave a summary of the night's events and that nothing significant to JIOR had occurred, illegal activity or not. Of course, he left out the irrelevant details pertaining to a young noble.

He sent out the report and decided to take a shower. He was bare from the waist up when his cell phone began to ring. So quickly after sending it in. There were only two people it could be - his superior officer or...

"Tokishima Haruto! Why are you just now talking to us?! Do you know how worried we were?!"

"'We'?", he teased, knowing she was the only one concerned for him. "I would've said something last night, but..."

"But what? Did something happen? Are you hurt?"

"Shoko, why are you doing my boss' job? And how did you know I just mailed the report a minute ago?"

"The perks of being the prime minister's daughter~ And don't change the subject. Did something happen?" Her voice was genuinely worried. It almost made Haruto tell her what went down off the record. The years of their friendship weakened his resolve. But he couldn't.

Haruto wasn't really ashamed of what he'd done. He'd do it again too. But they weren't really on friendly terms with Dorssia. They weren't quite enemies either. The relationship was just new and a little tense. Still, it wouldn't be good if the higher ups thought he was getting too close with the other side. To be safe, he couldn't tell Shoko. He couldn't make her bear the secret too.

"Nothing important", he finally said. "I'll see you when I come back home."

"Okay..." She didn't sound completely convinced, but she wouldn't press on.

They said their goodbyes and Haruto finished undressing and went into the shower. He wondered what that man was doing at the moment. That Michael...When he got out, he noticed his phone ringing again.

"What is it now?", he pondered out loud as he picked it up. He saw the name and immediately went into a serious mode.

"Tokishima Haruto, reporting."

"Tokishima, there's been a change in plans. You won't be returning today."

"Is the situation different?"

"We just received some intel from our informant in ARUS. We'll need to extend our stay in Dorssia."

At that, Haruto blinked and lost his sense for a moment.

"'We'?"

* * *

 

Michael walked the halls, a destination in mind. He rarely moved without one. This afternoon, he had been called upon to take his father's place. That was nothing unusual. The duke had many duties and couldn't be in two places at once. Michael had proven himself capable in certain proceedings and thus was appointed in times such as these.

He was supposed to stand in for his father in the throne room as the king greeted a guest. Apparently it was a sudden visitation, which made the young man suspicious about it all. It must've had something to do with the JIORan who had come last night. He found his spot and unfortunately it was next to the last person he wanted to see.

"I wonder what's going to happen~?"

There was no answer. Michael knew better than to bait him at this point.

"Aren't you curious? Someone's coming here right after the princess' birthday. It could be a proposal-"

"There's no way it's that", he said a little too quickly. Michael cleared his throat. "The chance of such a thing is minuscule, Earl."

"Don't call me that. We've known each other long enough to use names, right? Michael?"

"I prefer to keep our relationship that way it is."

"Just say it once. Wilhelm. How hard is that?"

Michael didn't have time to answer as the honored guest was announced. Everyone's chatter stopped and they looked towards the entrance. Michael's assumption was correct. It was a JIORan entourage, flanking someone rather important. The prime minister entered alone with a rather familiar face. The man he'd spent last night with was walking just behind the prime minister.

He wasn't completely surprised at that either. But it made him wonder what the other country's business was here. The leaders of the two countries greeted each other and spoke so that everyone could hear. Apparently, their guests would be staying for a an unspecified time to discuss how nations would continue in the future, hopefully as friends.

During the whole time, Michael kept his eyes glued to the highest authorities, determined not to look at Haruto. He didn't want anything more to do with this man. However, his eyes glanced at him once and he found that Haruto had been staring at him. Their eyes met and Michael tried willing him to look away but those blue eyes were persistent. Even when he looked away, he could still feel the other's gaze on him.

The king and prime minister left to discuss things in private. Most in the crowd dispersed with the ending of the audience while others stayed to peer at their foreign visitors or talk among themselves.

Michael left before he could be roped into anything unnecessary, entering a hallway. Haruto looked like the kind of person he couldn't afford to associate with. Last night had been a little break from his normal life but it was over. Haruto was a government official, it seemed. He must have understood it to be the same way.

"Hey-"

Michael didn't allow another word to be said when his wrist was grabbed. Before he knew it, Haruto had been thrown onto the floor, wincing at the impact. He rolled to the side, rubbing his back.

"What's with that reaction?", he complained.

"I apologize. It was my instinct when a stranger put his hands on me."

Haruto sat up slowly at that. "Stranger? Well, I guess technically, we are." He stood up and brushed himself off, then held out his hand to shake. "My name is-"

"Not interested. Unless you want to discuss diplomacy, you and I have no business with each other." Michael kept his hands firmly at his side and walked off.

Haruto jogged to catch up and walk beside him. "Look, about last night-"

"What 'last night', Mr. JIORan? You and the prime minister only just arrived in Dorssia this morning."

"I want to talk about this. Just for a little bit. Please. Somewhere private." His eyes begged Michael.

The pale haired beauty wanted to nip this in the bud. Option 1) ignore this man and refuse to be anywhere alone with him. Risk having him reveal what happened in an outburst that someone could hear. Option 2) talk privately. Make your position known. Swear him to silence. Move on.

Michael gripped the other's arm and sped up his pace. He went to his room and threw Haruto in, locking the door behind him. "I will say this as clearly as I can", he started with crossed arms. "No one can be made aware of what happened last night. It meant nothing. What we did was a moment of physical weakness and it will never happen again."

"Never say never", Haruto replied but regretted it as soon as he did. "No, what I mean is, I didn't plan on telling anyone in the first place but..." But what? Haruto really didn't have anything to say. He merely saw Michael in the throne room and had to go to him. To make sure he was real.

"If you have nothing to contribute, then this is the end of our interaction with each other."

His eyes widened at that. "No Michael. I don't want that." But what did he want? There was no relationship they could have that wouldn't raise questions. Even if they were just friends, what if things went sour between their homes.

"It doesn't matter what you want. What matters is what's going to happen. I can control myself, but it seems as though you're going to have a problem with that. So it's best if you don't come near me again."

" _I'm_ the one with the problem?", Haruto stepped towards him. "It takes two people to have sex, you know. And I didn't hear you complaining. Actually..." A small smirk came to his lips. "You were clinging to me."

He almost gave Haruto a slap for that but Michael restrained himself. This man was trying to get a reaction from him. "I assure you, I will never cling to you that way again."

Haruto took another step in and leaned forward. "Never say never", he repeated in a soft voice.

Both young men stared at each other intensively. Michael's arms crossed, Haruto's hands on his hips. One was thinking of how much of a pain this person was. The other was thinking about how easy it would be to lean in and kiss him.

It was painfully slow, but at the same time, excitingly so. Haruto's lips were so close that he could feel Michael's breath. The moment they made the lightest contact, he felt something cold and metallic on his neck.

A knock on the door interrupted them and Michael stowed his knife away to answer it. Haruto was in so much of a daze at what just went down that he didn't think for a moment how suspicious it would look to be found in a Dorssian noble's room. At the last second he thought it would be better to hide and when he would see who was at the door he really wished that he did.

"Good morning, princess", Michael greeted with a bow of his head.


	3. Solve for the Unknown

Haruto had no idea how to act around a princess. Should he bow? But Dorssians didn't usually bow as a greeting as JIORans did. Should he shake her hand? Should he even greet her, since he wasn't royalty? Haruto regretted not paying attention to those culture he was silently panicking, Michael had led her into the room and sat her down in a chair.

"Who is your friend?", she asked, giving Haruto a look.

"He is no friend of mine. Merely a JIORan who has lost his way." Michael gave him a sharp glare and Haruto took the as his cue to leave. Out of habit, he gave the princess a stiff bow and left the room.

He was by no means done with this yet. He still had some words he wanted to say, even if he wasn't quite sure what those exact words were. But he couldn't speak of such things in front of mixed company, especially the princess. In the meantime, Haruto had a job to do. He was technically still on the clock. Part of him said it would be advantageous to take Michael's advice and end the relationship here. Things weren't about to get easy from him, not after what he was debriefed on this morning before officially arriving at the palace.

Haruto had found no leads while he was at the party last night. However, that was because any suspicious bodies weren't at the festivities. An informant leaked to the prime minister about Dorssian plans to invade and colonize. Although it wasn't solid yet, this made them practically enemies. The hope was that any ambitious invasions would be nipped in the bud the moment proof of it was found.

* * *

 

In Michael's room, the small talk began but didn't go long. He was no good at it and she had come with other intentions. She dismissed her hand maidens to give them some privacy. It might've sounded scandalous if Michael wasn't notoriously cold.

"My father has been keeping things from me. I don't know what he or the royal council is up to but surely the JIORans must have caught wind of it, to come so suddenly."

"That explains things." While he remained collected, anyone who knew him could tell there was a difference in his demeanor. His posture was more relaxed, his eyes softer, and his voice gentler. And her majesty Lieselotte was the cause of it. Some thought Michael was socially stunted. Others whispered rumors of homosexuality. But the truth was that he had no interest in any woman who wasn't Princess Lieselotte. She owned his heart since they met as children. She was completely aware of the fact but did not share his feelings. But he didn't need her to. For Michael, having her safe and happy was enough. The day he swore allegiance it wasn't to Dorssia, but to her. That was why he had no qualms about tearing it apart from within.

"It might be useful to be friendly with our guests. I don't want my country to go through a war, if I can help it. Do you know what that means?"

She couldn't bring herself to say it and Michael didn't want to hear such cruelty from her lips. In a worse case scenario, he would have to bring down the king and orchestrate a coup d'etat, putting his beloved on the throne and cutting any wars before they happened. If this were to happen, having a JIORan or two in high places who could vouch for them would indeed work to their benefit.

If that was what she wanted him to prepare for, then perhaps he was too rash with the man he was just with. Tokishima Haruto. He had tried to introduce himself formally but Michael didn't want to hear it then. The man was almost like a puppy in human form. His eyes wide and so trusting of a person he didn't know, all because of a few fleeting gentle touches. And now he was trailing after him. Puppies could be turned into well trained dogs.

"I understand. I'll prepare myself accordingly."

She smiled in appreciation. "Then I shall leave you to it. And thank you, Michael."

Lieselotte left him behind to perform her own duties as the royal heir. Michael briefly thought of going out to find Haruto and getting cozy with him and maybe learn a few secrets of his government. But that line of thinking just made him frown. He didn't want to spend any extra time with that man. And if Haruto was the kind of person he suspected (and Michael was rarely wrong) then it wouldn't be long before the young duke was approached again.

* * *

 

"And just where did you run off to? Had to take a leak?"

Haruto froze and knew his reaction proved he wasn't doing anything nearly that innocent and he couldn't hide it from his senior. Not that he could ever hiding anything from Kyuma.

"Oho? Maybe it was a different kind of leak?"

"I-Inuzuka-senpai! Shouldn't we be heading back to the hotel?", Haruto tried changing the subject.

He shook his head in response. "The king has been so gracious to open his home to us, so we'll be staying here during our visit. It's pretty sweet. Maybe one day my home'll be this luxurious." As he spoke, they walked through the halls, and then he entered one of the rooms.

"This is my room. Your's in supposed to be further down the hall."

All Haruto could think was that it was so far from Michael's room. If that was in fact his room. Haruto couldn't remember him saying so. But surely as a nobleman he must have his own manor. Then again, he seemed close to the princess, so it wasn't a stretch to say that she welcomed him into her home too.

Kyuma snapped his fingers before Haruto, trying to get his attention. "You're pretty spacey today. More than usual. Is that really your post sex daze?" he was half teasing and half not.

"I-I didn't have sex today!" Which implied he had sex another day. It was easy for the elder to latch on but he just shrugged.

"That's too bad. If you had a little quickie with a maid or something we might've had it in with the help around here. And no one knows more gossip than the servants."

Haruto looked up at that. That's right. They were here to closely investigate the Dorssian military and royal family. He gulped and his eyes shifted.

"What if...say...hypothetically...what if I _did_ have it in with someone in the palace?"

Kyuma raised and eyebrow and sat on his plush bed. "Then maybe they'd be willing to tell you things a normal JIORan isn't supposed to know. But of course, they'd tell their lover", he smirked.

"L-love-?!" With his red face, Haruto couldn't even finish the word. He and Michael...he knew they were nowhere close to that but it was a nice fantasy.

"So do you actually know someone? Or is this really all hypotheticals?"

"U-um...well..."

"Haruto, I'm your boss. I already read your report. So I know you've made contact with a Michael Karlstien. My only question is just how far you've gotten." Kyuma crossed his legs and looked to his subordinate seriously.

"Sir...I..we had sex last night during the party."

At that, his expression relaxed and he rolled his shoulders. "Was that so hard? Any other time I'd punish you, but we could make this work." You could almost see the gears in his head turning. "He'll be vulnerable to you if you continue to have relations. And having him, an actual member of this country's high society...he actually talks to members of the royal family, gets to be around them whenever he wants. This is good Haruto, this is good."

"Inuzuka-senpai, just what are you trying to say?" For all his training in read the situation, Haruto could still be incredibly dense.

"What I'm saying, is you've gotta give the noble a nudge, run with the ruling class, excite the elite, do the duke. In short, you've gotta keep this guy on your side by any means necessary."

Well by then it was too late for Haruto to say that Michael wasn't on his side in the very least and had a very sharp dagger to his neck less than thirty minutes ago. Still, this was some sort of blessing, he decided. He had a reason to find him again and know he wouldn't arouse suspicion from his own government.

"Yes, sir. I'll undertake this mission."

"Good. I look forward to good things", Kyuma winked.

* * *

 

That night the prime minister and his entourage had dinner with the king and the princess as well as some very close Dorssian friends. Michael had opted to have his dinner in his room, claiming to have some rather important work the finish. It wasn't a complete lie. He was going through every single one of his options with every outcome. The bigger reason was that he knew Haruto would be at the dinner and he couldn't stand the idea of it.

Michael rubbed his forehead. He could already tell. Things were beginning to move and they would move quickly. There was a lot at risk, his entire life in fact. Although this was figuratively speaking. Michael cared not for his own life. The only thing that matter was Lieselotte. She was his life. She owned his life. For it all to mean anything, he would need for her to come through it alive and full of joy at the turn of events.

Their heads were always in danger, being who they were. Still, the rumors of a war and now her confirmation that a coup might occur put them closer to the fire. All of this was tiring him. Which was out of the ordinary. Thinking and calculating never exhausted him. Or maybe it was that Haruto. He was the only unknown variable in an otherwise normal day.

Despite himself he recalled that night and how likely it was to happen again. Before today, he would have said zero percent. Adding that he was now rooming in the same building, it went up to five percent. Plus the order from the princess to keep him close, it went up to seven percent. He closed his eyes and decided now it was time to rest. After bathing and dressing for bed, he heard a knock on the door.

The odds were overwhelmingly in the favor of the one person he didn't want to see. His mind told him that he should just let it be. It was nearly ten. He could easily pretend to be asleep and it would be perfectly justified. But then Lieselotte's face flashed behind his eyelids. Michael couldn't stand the thought of hindering their goals because he couldn't handle one JIORan. Michael answered the door and was unsurprised.

"Make it quick. I'm about to sleep."

"Ack!"

Anything Haruto came prepared with died in his throat when he was greeted with this glorious sight. Michael looked so comfortably clothed, a huge contrast to his day wear. It was a simple pajama set in a light green but just by looking at it you could tell the material was top notch. He'd kept the last button open, exposing just the top of his collar bone.

Michael watched him and wondered if this man truly had some sort of mental problem that impeded his speaking. Haruto's eyes looked like the way a beast's does when stalking its prey. When Haruto licked his lips, Michael called him to attention again.

"If all you will do is stare, it can wait until morning."

"No! That's not why I came. I-" Haruto stopped and took a deep breath. Panicking isn't what he wanted to do. Michael was calm and collected, so Haruto would emulate him. "I wanted to talk to you. A real talk this time."

Michael pulled Haruto in by the collar and locked the door. One way to solve for unknown variables is to learn more about the equation itself.


	4. Round Two

"Why are you so interested in me?"

What a loaded question. And where was he supposed to start? You're amazingly gorgeous and I could look at you all day? Your voice is monotonous but in a soothing way that calms my mind? You're really great at sex and I especially liked that thing you did with your tongue? There were many things that Haruto could say but none of them really felt appropriate. Not even if most professional reason.

If he told this guy that he was supposed to get close to him for secret Dorssian information, Haruto was certain that his life would end right here. Michael had a knife up to his neck for just a kiss. If he found out about his spying motivation that was it.

"I...like you...You're interesting."

"You're interested in me because I'm interesting? What do they teach you over in JIOR?"

"Definitely not that thing you did with your tongue", he quipped before he could catch himself.

Michael's eye twitched. "What you are feeling is lust. You're mistaking it for a genuine curiosity. You would benefit from realizing the difference."

"What's so bad about it being lust? If that's the way I feel for you, it's still valid."

"Lust is greedy and selfish. It is impure. I have no need for it."

"And what you have with the princess is pure?"

Michael shot him a look that froze Haruto solid. "She is no concern of yours, get her out of your head."

"You say that, but I can't forget it. U-uh, not her!", he denied quickly. He didn't want any misunderstandings on that part. "I meant you. It was only for a second but I saw it. You act differently around her. She changes you."

It wasn't that he appeared to be a different person. His demeanor was still that of Michael, just...happier.

"Things appear to have a different shape in the light as opposed to being in darkness. But they are still the same thing."

"So you're saying that she lights up your life?" Haruto smiled. "That's unexpectedly romantic."

Michael frowned. "It's only romantic to you. The fact is that she is responsible for why I am here today. My life is not my own, but belongs to her. She is the only thing that matters."

"Michael, you're spouting all these things like a romance novel love interest. That's what they call being in love."

"I knew that without you telling me. I've loved her for years. Don't assume you understand our relationship from just a glance."

Haruto smiled fondly. "You're in love with her...that's great. To be in love, I've always wondered what it was like. I had a crush on a friend before but I found out later that it wasn't really true love." His expression became nostalgic.

"But...", Haruto's voice got quiet. "If you're in love with her, why did you...with me...?"

He looked up at the question before turning his head away."Love and lust are not the same. You can feel a sexual attraction for someone without any romantic feelings and the opposite is true."

"So, you wouldn't do that thing with her?"

"I wouldn't dare defile her in such a way", Michael snapped.

"Hey, hey", Haruto held his hands up defensively. "Sex isn't a dirty thing. Well, you can get dirty. But it can be something really amazing. That's what I thought when I was with you."

"You're sentimental. That is all." He smiled derisively.

"There's nothing wrong with those feelings."

"Go ahead and have those feelings. See where it gets you."

"It got me you. For the night at least. And even now, we're at least talking to each other."

Michael crossed his arms, unable to deny that. Whatever feelings Haruto acted on had brought them together for a night of passion. And at the moment whatever Michael felt then was beginning to bubble up again. He quickly pushed it down. He could let the JIORan get close but not that close.

"Why did you come here tonight?"

"I wanted to see you. I know you wanted to cut off ties with me and I can understand why. But I just can't let you go."

"You put too much value in one night of sex."

"Maybe I do." Haruto took a step closer. "But that doesn't mean it has to be that way. It could become something more." He walked closer until they were just a few inches apart.

The young Dorssian didn't have any weapon hidden in his clothing this time. He was about to go to bed. There was a gun under his pillow but it was too far to make a grab for. If things got too uncomfortable he was confident he could subdue the other with his bare hands. Althought it might not be a good idea considering the princess' orders. He might just have to let this man do as he pleased, so long as it was what Michael wanted.

So he refrained from snapping Haruto's wrist when a hand came near his face. The fingers brushed his cheek softly and slid backwards to tangle into his hair. Michael felt his heart rate rise and his body warm up a little. The night he'd met Haruto he thought he was becoming ill but quickly realized they were merely symptoms of attraction and arousal.

Part of him cursed the human body for having such dangerous reactions to something so harmless. The other part was focused on Haruto's deep blue eyes and how intensely they stared at him.

"I noticed it during the party...how beautiful you are. But you surprised me by becoming even more dazzling."

"If that flattery is meant to seduce me into bed, you are wasting your time."

"I really mean it!", Haruto pressed. "At the ball you were so amazing that I couldn't take my eyes off you. Before I knew it, I was captivated." Haruto's other hand went to the other side of Michael's head, as if keeping him in place, making sure he was real. "But when I was making love to you, you were prettier. I don't know how to explain it."

Michael almost rolled his eyes at the phrase 'making love' but instead focused on another point. "You thought so merely because we were having sex. You were looking at me through lust-filled eyes. Nothing more."

"You talk about it like you're so above it all. Like you're not effected. If that was true, why did you do that with me?" There was hardly any more visible space between their bodies.

"I'm human", Michael said as if it were a physical defect. "I feel the same things as everyone else. I just choose whether or not to act on them. While people like you react to everything."

"I remember you reacting very much the other night." Their faces were so close that each other's breaths could be felt. Michael's brow furrowed in what he realized begrudgingly was impatience.

 _'Why won't he kis-'_ That thought was cut short by lips against his own. Apparently Haruto was anticipating his desires. His kisses were just like him - soft, gentle and yielding, making Michael lead and set the pace. His hand went around Haruto's hips to keep him steady. Just a few kisses. There was nothing wrong with that. It would be enough to satisfy them both and Michael would have fulfilled his duty.

While this idea was running through his mind, Haruto was slowly unbuttoning his pajama top and touching the bare skin of his chest. It was then that Michael decided just a few kisses wouldn't be enough.

What was wrong with using this man for his desires. Nothing. Not if what Haruto wanted was the same as what he wanted. He may have had something in mind pertaining to an actual relationship. But Michael would make it clear that this was nothing more than physical. His heart belonged to Lieselotte. But as for his body, he would allow access to it for Haruto.

Michael's back met the mattress and as soon as it did, Haruto's lips were against his neck. He seemed fond of neck kissing, not that Michael had any complaints. His hands worked on undressing Haruto and that was the only thing that could break him apart from Michael's skin. Both of their torsos were bare and Haruto's kisses moved south.

He reveled at the softness. While the muscle was hard, his body was pliant under his lips. It almost made Michael seem fragile. Almost. Haruto pulled off his pajamas bottoms, underwear along with it, leaving Michael completely naked. For a moment, he just stared, taking in every detail.

"Are you just going to stare at me all night?"

"Sorry. The first time, I didn't get a good look. It was sort of a rushed thing. I wanted to look at your body properly. It's amazing, Michael."

Impatient, Michael flipped them over and straddled Haruto's waist. "I didn't permit you to undress me with the intention of being inspected."

Haruto sat up and put his hands on his hips. Without another word he kissed Michael's lips and let his lower body buck upward. They hadn't done much but his erection was nearly ready. Michael was half hard as well. He reached down and unzipped Haruto's pants, then opened them just enough to relieve his crotch a little. Haruto started to grind against him, small sounds coming from his mouth.

"Michael..."

He'd never say it out loud but hearing his name like that made his ears burn. He grabbed Haruto's shoulders and pushed him to lie back down. In a quick movement, he pulled off Haruto's pants, leaving him in his boxers.

Haruto looked up at him, cheeks red and eyes darkened with lust. He pushed his underwear off himself, finally freeing his erection. He sighed in relief. Michael poured something onto his fingers. He pressed one inside of himself, never breaking eye contact with Haruto.

"Hey, let me do that for you."

"With your clumsy hands? I'd be better off going on dry", Michael rejected with no room for discussion.

Haruto didn't argue. Mostly because it was like arguing with a rock. Another reason was just how sexy Michael looked fingering himself. He bit his lip, determined to keep quiet. His cheeks were a little pink but nothing compared to Haruto's full blown blush. From this angle, he couldn't see how many were inside, but Michael looked to be at him limit. With a soft gasp, he pulled them away and slicked down Haruto's cock.

Michael raised himself up and slowly, slowly brought himself on top of it. It was nearly too much for Haruto. The sensation, paired with Michael's beauty almost made him orgasm right there. He chanted Michael's name under his breath very softly, as if it was the only word he knew. Haruto's hands gripped his hips once Michael was fully seated on him.

They stayed like that for a moment, their chests moving up and down in quiet breaths. Just when Haruto didn't think he could take the stillness anymore, Michael began to move. Haruto's moans were unrestrained and fell from his mouth easily. He savored the feeling around his cock and wanted it to never end. Michael was more reserved. Every one in a while, Haruto pulled a small sound from him but otherwise his lips were tightly shut.

"Michael...Michael..Mi-agh!" With a choked cry, Haruto felt himself reach his release. Michael bounced on his cock a few more times before coming himself, letting out a soft grunt and spilling onto Haruto's stomach. They stayed that way, panting. Haruto's eyes were on Michael and Michael's eyes were looking down. He separated them and fell down next to Haruto.

His deep blue eyes watched and couldn't help but think that everything Michael did was graceful, even getting off his limp penis in a post orgasm haze. He wanted to speak but he had no idea what to say. Michael had grabbed his phone and was looking at something, his back to Haruto. The young JIORan sighed. He wanted to take the other man in his arms but it didn't seem like he could without being awkward.

He stayed like that, watching Michael until his eyelids grew heavy and he fell asleep. Meanwhile, the silver haired noble was looking up something on his phone.

_'If this will continue then I must prepare accordingly. This can't go on like this.'_


	5. New Arrival

Their relationship continued like this for a few days. There was breakfast in the morning, sometimes attended by the fuhrer and princess, sometimes not. For lunch, everyone was left to their own devices, some staying in the palace to eat the food served there, others going out into the city to sample the local cuisine. The afternoon was filled with diplomatic meetings on the future of their countries.

Finally was dinner and only after that could Haruto find some alone time with Michael. He went off to the Dorssian's room after the evening meal. Michael, since their second time together, anticipated future visits and made sure he was prepared, which meant purchasing lubrication and condoms. He never imagined doing such a thing, but it was his reality now.

And he'd be damned if he caught some disease. Although the only thing Haruto could infect him with was probably stupidity. In their short conversations, he managed to get some information. The brunet was an open book who trusted him for some reason. Haruto didn't have so much luck trying to weasel anything out of Michael. He was incredibly tight lipped and cold at that.

He was usually kicked out of bed right after sex without so much as a kiss good night. Haruto didn't mind too much. He felt like he was wearing the other down, slowly. The proof came one day during the late morning. Usually Michael ignored his existence outside his bedroom at night, but Haruto was feeling bold. He caught him after breakfast and pulled him into a rather large closet. Normally Haruto would question the reason for its size but it served a good purpose.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"I wanted to see you just now. I mean, we only get to meet at night but-"

"That is because what we have should be secluded to the dark. I thought you understood that this was something of a secret between us."

"I do! But I...I can keep a secret so please, don't be so cold to me when we're not having sex."

Michael considered it. Truthfully, Haruto meant no harm to him. There couldn't be a violent bone in his body. And he couldn't do anything suspicious during the day. Also, it meant that their conversations could extend beyond pillow talk and and he could worm out more vital information for the princess. He supposed hanging around Haruto without the pretense of sex would be a good idea.

"Don't be too obvious. People finding out about this won't end well for either of us."

Haruto's face lit up like a puppy being let outside. "I promise. I can keep a secret. No one will ever know."

"Part of that includes not pulling me into a closet without warning."

Scolded, Haruto nodded and had the decency to look ashamed. His desire to see Michael was taking over his mind. He was an adult, he should have had better control, but Michael took that all away from him. They parted ways there, leaving the closet as inconspicuously as possible and went on their ways.

* * *

 

"Still nothing yet?"

"Nothing."

Inuzuka sighed and crossed one leg over the other. The prime minister was off doing some publicity event with the emperor, along with a few members of the JIORan political entourage. Haruto was meeting in Inuzuka's room alone to give a report on the situation with Michael.

"Haruto, you've got to try and get something from him, anything. Something that'll finally condemn this country."

"Even if you say that he's not an open book. Sometimes I don't even know how I get him to talk to me."

"Figure something out. Go out drinking so his lips will get looser if you have to. We can't stay here for much longer. At least the prime minister can't. He has other things to do."

"...I understand."

* * *

 

"Did you think we wouldn't notice?"

"I didn't care if you did."

Michael had set himself up in a small sitting room, with the intention to relax with a cup of coffee and a book he'd been meaning to start. He'd been there for all of five minutes before he was surrounded by some comrades, making themselves comfortable in the other chairs provided. Michael Karlstein was a name well known in Dorssia not only for his noble blood but his skills in combat. His exploits were talked in tandem with his team, the shining glory of the country's military.

There was Ira Sokoloff, a flirtatious young man with a penchant for eavesdropping. It was an annoying but also useful quirk for missions. Robin Hunter was the youngest member of their team but that didn't stop him from having a kill count nearly as high as Michael's. The one to match his analytic coldness was Yonah Dressel. Although his demeanor was hard, he was very loyal.

And then there was the leader of their group, Bijoux Bellamy. He was a closer relative of the princess and had grown up with her alongside Michael. If there was anyone Karlstein called a friend, it was Bijoux. Although he never said it out loud. They didn't live in the palace as Michael did, but visited often enough to know it well.

"What finally tipped you off to it?"

Ira spoke first. "I saw a hickey on your neck the other day."

"Naturally, he reported it to the rest of us", Bijoux crossed his arms. "We were certain he was mistaken. Imagine our surprise when we found out it was true. How could you let that JIORan manhandle you into the closet?"

"So you saw that? I have a use for him. That is all."

"Hey, are you gonna kill him? Is he strong? Is that why you're having sex with him?" Robin had a morbid outlook on things. Killing was one of the few things he understood.

"Not yet." Michael added some sugar to his coffee. "This is for the princess. So I need him alive. If he proves to be a hindrance or a threat, then I will kill him."

"How does having sex with him assist her Majesty?", Yonah asked, adjusting his glasses.

These were his brothers in arms, close associates with whom he'd fought beside. They had saved his life and he theirs. They also shared the same ambition, doing away with the corrupt government. Dorssia was their home and they hated the thought of it being leeched by parasites in high offices. So he divulged some information. He told them about Princess Lieselotte's plans and the probable reason for the JIORan's visit, all explaining his current relationship with Haruto.

"Tokishima Haruto's official title is that of Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. He works under Inuzuka Kyuma, the Minister. If we're to build a rapport with this country, they're the best to get acquainted with."

"Sounds like something out a romance novel", Ira teased. "What if you fall in love with him?"

A silence hung around the air as if that itself was a comment to how ridiculous the notion sounded. Ira scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Then, what if he falls in love with you."

"That certainly seems more likely", Bijoux looked to Michael for an answer.

"It is of no consequence. Rather, it may prove to be advantageous. If he loves me, he'll be bound by those sentimental feelings. He might even do my bidding."

Yonah frowned. "Love can be a dangerous thing. It's not a game. Be cautious."

"I've never been careless in my life", Michael almost sounded offended.

* * *

 

Camera flashed as the crowd jostled each other. A group of guards kept them at bay but by the expressions of the two young men, you would think they were completely alone. One was indifferent while the other was used to this treatment.

"Thank you, my dear Michael~"

"Then, I will lead you inside so you may settle in your room."

"Still so cold..."

Haruto watched the commotion from a window. Apparently, Michael was greeting another guest of the royal family. He wondered who it was. Could it be an earl? Or a baron?

"Looks like that idol arrived", Inuzuka said, sidling up beside Haruto.

"Idol?"

"Yeah, he's all over tv nowadays. His name's Gil. Some bright young star. His ballads are okay but I don't really like his pop stuff."

"You listen to idol music?", Haruto looked at him surprised. He hadn't expected that from Inuzuka.

"Don't laugh. Saki roped me into listening one time. She really hates the guy. Good thing she's not here."

"But why is _he_ here?" Neither Michael or the guest could be seen now. They might already be inside, or perhaps on the grounds elsewhere.

"No idea. I don't know his connection to all this, but the royal family can be considered celebrities, so maybe they see that guy as the same or something? Actually, it really doesn't make any sense...Haruto. Find out."

"Eh? Me?"

"That's your job. And Michael is with him which means they probably know each other." Inuzuka clapped him on the back. "So get to it. I can give you some of his music to listen to if you want."

Begrudgingly, Haruto found himself lying in his bed, listening to the music through his headphones. He found he didn't dislike the faster paced songs as much as his elder, but Haruto didn't really understand the appeal. He looked at the album cover and felt a strange sensation. There was something about this guy's smile that seemed forced and fake.

It was very unsettling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Q-vier: Robin Hunter  
> A-drei: Bijoux Bellamy  
> H-neun: Ira Sokoloff  
> X-eins: Yonah Dressel  
> When figuring out some kind of naming convention, I just basically made up a rule. 1. They had to be names from countries that made up Dorssia. 2. L-elf's real name was revealed to be Michael so the first letter of his codename precedes the initial of his given name. So that's what I decided to do with the rest otherwise I'd be up all night tryin to come up with good names for them.  
> So you have ABcdeFGHIjkLMnopQRstuvwXYz  
> A-drei/Bijoux; F-sechs/Gil; H-neun/Ira; L-elf/Michael; Q-vier/Robin; X-ein/Yonah


	6. Out and About

That smile. That strange upturn of lips that made his stomach feel weird. Haruto never wanted to face it, but it was his mission now. He just didn't expect that it would be brought right to him. A maid had found him and said Michael had called upon him. At first, he was floating. Michael had actually wanted to see him. So much that he sought him out. The maid brought him to a sitting room and that's when his feet found the ground again.

Michael was there, of course. But with him was that man from before. The one with the suspicious smile that Saki from back home hated. They sat next to each other on the couch in the room.

"Have a seat, Mr. Tokishima", Michael offered formally, gesturing to the seat across from them.

Haruto sat down slowly, looking at the two of them. The celebrity was sitting uncomfortably close to Michael. It was uncomfortable to Haruto and he hoped for Michael too. The stranger opened his mouth and began to talk in a foreign language. Belatedly, he realized they were speaking a dialect of Dorssian. He missed the first part but was able to catch the rest once he paid attention.

"- _nothing like the princess._ "

" _He has nothing to do with her. Leave that topic alone._ "

" _So you still haven't told her how you feel? Does that mean I still have a chance?_ "

" _No. The probability is zero._ "

They obviously wanted to keep it between themselves, why else would they switch languages? So Haruto pretended to not understand. He could have sworn he saw a look in Michael's eyes that might be him waiting for something but he wasn't sure. Michael cleared his throat.

"This is Gil Wolanski. You may have heard of him. He is a Dorssian idol."

"Hi~ Nice to meet you. You can just call me Gil. Michael here _knows_ that I hate my last name", he gave Michael a soft glare.

"Pleased to meet you", Haruto greeted. "I'm Tokishima Haruto, JIORan Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs." He looked to the silver haired duke for some kind of explanation for this meeting and as usual, Michael did not disappoint.

"Gil will be on vacation for a while in his hometown and we thought it might be good publicity for him to show you around the area and learn more about our culture." Michael spoke as if he were on camera already.

"That sounds like a good idea. I've always wanted to look around but I don't really know where to go. Or even how to get there. Having a local be my tour guide would really help."

"I'm more than happy to do it! There's nothing I would love more than to show someone around the pride and joy that is my hometown", Gil said, almost sparkling.

Haruto wondered just who he was turning the charm on for. The cameras weren't around, Michael wasn't fazed, and Haruto was a stranger. It felt extremely superficial. They scheduled some time later that day to meet up and go somewhere. Haruto was warned that they would be followed by paparazzi and to be prepared for that.

He went to his room and changed into some casual clothing. He wore a simple white polo and some dark blue jeans. He met in front of the palace with the car that was going to take them. Gil and Michael were approaching but Haruto only had eyes for one. Michael always wore high neck clothing and it was getting ridiculous how much seeing his bare neck turned him on.

Michael wore shirt with a sleeveless vest and slacks. Haruto took no notice at all of what Gil had on. He swallowed as Michael got closer, shortening the distance between them. A voice in his head mentioned how this was kind of a date and Haruto tried to ignore it. It wasn't a date. Especially since there was a third, unrelated person involved.

The three of them got into the car. Michael sat in the front passenger seat while Haruto was in the back with Gil. The driver took off for their first destination. Gil did his part as the tour guide and explained as they went along. Michael hung back, not really participating. He knew these places like the back of his hand. And Gil was doing all of the talking.

It had Haruto wondering just why Michael came. Was it really just for supervision? Gil was very engaging, to his credit. But Michael was what Haruto cared about most. He really would have liked it if it were just the two of them going around. Occasionally, he would notice a few people with cameras, probably trying to snap some pics of Gil.

At the moment, they were at an art museum and Gil went to the bathroom, finally leaving the other two alone. Or at least, as alone as they could get. Haruto tried to get a little closer as they stood side by side, admiring a painting. His hand reached out and he meant to grab Michael's hand. His fingers brushed the back of it when he felt arms wrap around his neck.

"Haruto!"

"S-Saki?!"

"Miss Rukino?" Gil had returned from the bathroom.

Rukino Saki removed her arms from Haruto and smiled at Gil, it was a similar look to the one he had. "Mr. Gil Wolanksi~"

"Just Gil, Miss Rukino", his smile tightened.

"Saki, what are you doing here?", Haruto asked.

She turned to him. "I'm on vacation. And I thought what better place to go than lovely Dorssia?" As if one cue, she turned toward some cameras and smiled as they flashed.

"You and Inuzuka are here too, right? But on official business. I won't get in your way. I'm just here for myself."

Haruto was so taken by surprise at this turn of events that he didn't notice Michael's glare. Saki didn't see it either. Her attention was on Gil, even though she kept her face towards the cameras.

* * *

 

"It's unexpected of her to come. But it doesn't have anything to do with us. She's just here as a tourist."

Haruto had reported to Inuzuka as soon as they got back. Saki had gone back to her hotel but made him promise to meet before either of them had to leave the country. And she always had a way of getting what she wanted.

"I just feel weird around her. She's...she's..." Haruto wasn't eloquent enough to put it in words but Inuzuka had gone to school with her as well and he understood.

"Just ignore her for now. Your mission is Michael."

* * *

 

"It's about time for us to start. What of Karlstein? Have you convinced him?"

"Not yet. But it's only a matter of time, I'm sure. He can't hold out forever", Gil grinned.

"Hurry it up. Having him on our side makes our probability for success that much higher. And where he goes, his team does."

"Understood."


	7. Dinner and a Show(ko)

Haruto let out a breathy moan and shivered. It was hot. It felt so hot. But a good kind of burn at the same time. A drop of sweat made itself down his brow. It was probably a bad idea to have sex in the laundry room at a time when it seemed that all of the palace was getting a dry cycle. But for once, it wasn't his fault. Truly. Michael was behind this little meeting.

Haruto had come to his room and meant to discuss something but Michael showed him a hidden entrance in his room ("For emergencies"). The path led to the laundry room, which would lead them to the outside. The clothes were left unattended and Michael gave him a strange look and now the Dorssian was bent over a dryer and Haruto was pressed against his back.

The heat of the laundry room and the warmth between their bodies made them sweat but their minds were just on getting from point A to point B. Haruto's mouth was right by Michael's ear and on his breath was the smell of breakfast but it wasn't altogether bad and what was foremost in his mind was the stretching from behind and the vibration of the dryer from the front.

Michael heard the other's panting pick up and his hips moved faster. Michael came first, spurting onto the machine while Haruto filled up the condom he was made to put on. For a moment, they just panted in unison and Haruto kissed the back of his neck. Michael closed his eyes and allowed the show of affection. He hated thinking about it but honestly he was starved for it.

And Haruto just _gives_ it to him. Without prompt or hesitation. Different cultures and upbringing, he supposed. And for once, Michael didn't push him away, Haruto moved back on his own. He pulled the condom off and threw it into the trash. Michael pulled himself together and cleaned himself up. He would still need a shower though. And then there was the semen on the dryer.

"Do you have a handkerchief?", he asked.

Haruto nodded and pulled one from his pocket. Michael wiped up the mess and handed it back to Haruto. He grimaced a little and put it back into his pocket. Their little getaway done with, Michael led the way back to his room.

"Take that path if there is ever an emergency."

In times of crisis, he might have to trust Haruto to run away with the princess. The chance was slim but still present. Haruto left to continue on his business and Michael took a shower. The warmth of the water reminded him of the JIORan's touches and he sighed happily, closing his eyes. His eyes snapped opened when he realized that. Was this getting too risky?

Having sex in such an open area probably was very dangerous, but Michael trusted his instincts. Still, what if they got caught? What if this was a ruse by JIOR to soften him for something. Michael envisioned Haruto's dopey face and couldn't imagine him being deceptive or conspiring at all. Then again, people thought the same when they first met Robin.

He spent the shower weighing the pros and cons of continuing on this way. His squad already knew and didn't exactly oppose it and Princess Lieselotte wanted them on friendly terms. Well they were most definitely friendly. But perhaps they were too open about it. He would have to dial it back. The problem wasn't that he was having sex with Haruto.

That was something he could handle. The issue was that he was fantasizing about non-sexual caresses and that was a precarious place to be. Michael could give him temporary access to his body. Relieving urges using each other was simple. The young duke would not be able to give him anymore than that. He couldn't afford to.

* * *

 

The emperor carded his hands and sighed. "Those JIORans are overstaying their welcome. We can't go on with them probably snooping about."

He spoke to a small assembled group in his office. Gil was one of the people in attendance and he spoke up first.

"Allow me to take charge, your highness."

"You?"

Gil nodded. "Michael Karlstein has been spending much time with one of the visitors. If there is anything going on there, I can find it out. And it will most certainly be useful."

"See to it then. In the meantime, we will move on. We can't wait any longer."

* * *

 

Haruto felt as if he was being trapped during dinner. It was a small engagement, or rather it was supposed to be. When the emperor and princess weren't present, Michael only showed up occasionally. And there were often times when Haruto had meals alone in his room or outside the palace. But tonight was different. The emperor still wasn't there, but Princess Lieselotte was.

On both sides of Haruto was Michael and Saki. Joining them were Inuzuka, Gil, and a group of young men Haruto had never seen. They introduced themselves as Michael's friends. Saki was smirking at Gil who was returning it with a smile.

"Miss Rukino, you're acquainted with Mr. Tokishima?"

"Just Haruto, please."

"Haruto and I went to the same high school. We've been friends for years", Saki answered.

Gil rested his chin in his hands. "Is that so? He never mentioned you."

"You've only seen him for one day", Michael interjected. "He wouldn't give you his life story.

"And you know him so well to say that? Since he's been staying here at the palace, you two must have gotten close", the Dorssian pop star played with his fork.

Michael didn't reply but someone else did for him, Bijoux adjusted his braid and frowned at Gil. "What are you trying to imply, Wolanski? Do you really think our Michael would warm up to just anyone so easily?"

"'Our'? Not 'my'?", Gil's smile twitched strangely. "If that's true, and you do know Michael better than anyone, then _Haruto_ here must be someone special."

Haruto blushed and tried not to meet anyone's gaze. Which he realized was probably the most suspicious thing to do. Inuzuka was eating quietly but was watching Haruto's expressions just as everyone else.

Saki leaned against him. "I don't know about your friend, but Haruto warms up to everybody easily. He's sociable and naive. I'll never understand how he got into politics."

"Would he be more at home in the world of idols with you?", Ira's piercings glinted as he leaned towards Saki.

"No, compared to idols, diplomacy is child's play", her eyes turned sharp towards Gil.

"And you'd know all about playing around, wouldn't you, Miss Rukino?"

Saki looked about ready to pounce on Gil and Robin's red hair bounced as he did with excitement in his seat when Michael spoke up.

"Is this a proper topic of discussion in front of her majesty? My apologies, princess."

Lieselotte smiled serenely. "There's no need for apologies Michael." At least not from him and not on her behalf, she thought. It seemed to her that Gil was trying to ruffle Rukino's feathers but she couldn't be certain why. Did celebrities really have rivalries like this?

"You have my deepest apologies, my princess", Gil bowed his head towards her then raised it up. "And Michael is right. A more interesting subject would be our JIORan guests. I've been there you know. It's such a lovely place, with lovely people. Michael, you've been able to spend so much time with one, a representative of their country too. Do you share the same opinion?"

"I'm not so ignorant as to think one man speaks for an entire group of people. My impression of Tokishima is only of him. Not all JIORans."

"So you have special feelings for Haruto?"

"I wouldn't put it in such a sentimental way."

"That doesn't sound like denial."

"Wolanski...", Michael's voice gave an unspoken warning.

Gil's face tightened. "Don't call me by that."

"Hey, Michael, we talked about this, didn't we?", Ira looked to his friend. "You're not really-"

"The only thing I am is full. And tired. I will be going to my room now." With that, Michael wiped his face and stood.

"I guess we should expect Haruto to excuse himself in a few minutes", Gil teased.

Bijoux slammed his fist on the table and shouted something in Dorssian that Gil replied to smoothly. Ira and Robin joined in and even Yonah said a few words. It became a full blown back and forth in their native language between Gil and Bijoux with the other three interjecting. The princess watched on with an anxious expression, wondering how to cut in.

Inuzuka was content to watch to see how it played out. Like Haruto, he was fluent in the official dialect but didn't feel the need to speak up. Saki only knew conversational bits for small talk and most of this was lost on her. But Haruto didn't like what he was hearing. He got up from his seat and started to shout back at Gil in Dorssian.

Having enough, Michael was about to leave the room when the doors to the small dining hall were opened and someone jogged in, hair looking a little tousled and smiling wide despite panting.

"I'm here! I'm finally here!"

"Sh-Shoko?", Haruto choked out mid-rant as she ran up hugged him.

"I made it! Hi there senpai", she waved to Inuzuka across the table. "And Saki's here too. It's just like high school!"

Haruto watched Michael leave, the person whose attention he wanted most; the princess, the highest authority in the room looking on in disappointment; his peers either bored or ready to kill each other; Saki rolling her eyes and crossing her arms; and his senpai watching it all happen with that self assured smile.

"Just like high school", he sighed.


	8. Seeds

Haruto flopped onto his bed. Dinner was a disaster. And he wasn't sure who to blame. Himself? That seemed right. Gil Wolanski? He really was instigating most of the drama. Michael's friends? They certainly didn't help the situation. Michael? No. He didn't do anything. Or maybe that was the problem. Actually, he did defend Haruto against Gil's words. The thought made him smile against his pillow.

Michael had spoken up for him. As if he cared about him. While he was hugging the pillow against his chest in glee, there was a knock on his door and someone called his name. He could recognize that voice anywhere. Haruto got up and answered it, his smile genuine.

"Shoko, what are you doing here?", he asked as he let her into his room, closing the door.

"I came to visit you guys. It's not fair that you all get to have a Dorssian vacation while I'm stuck at home." She fell back onto his bed and sighed.

"It's not a vacation. We're working. And don't you have work too?"

"My father gave me permission to come. And I missed you. This is the reaction your childhood friend gets?", Shoko pouted.

"Sorry, sorry. It's just been...hectic. I really am happy to see you", Haruto sat down next to her. Shoko really was his best friend. He'd known her for most of his life and even had a crush on her at one point. It actually lasted for their entire duration of high school. But Haruto eventually lost those feelings. He didn't like her any less as a friend, it was simply that his feelings were no longer romantic.

Shoko had been completely oblivious to all of this. She could be pretty clueless in regards to herself. But his past love for her didn't matter. He loved her in a whole new way now. And that sort of romantic love was for someone else.

_'Is that true? Do I really love him?'_

"Good", Shoko was satisfied at getting the reaction she wanted. "So what kind of work have you guys been doing. My father said it was all diplomatic stuff, but that doesn't really involve Saki, does it?"

"That is what we're doing. And Saki just showed up out of nowhere. But she's been welcomed here." And that girl rarely turned down an invitation.

"Tell me about the others. You've been meeting with royalty, right? That was the princess earlier, wasn't it? She was so beautiful~ And small too." Shoko sighed at the short memory of her.

Haruto nodded. "That was her. Those other guys were, nobility, I guess..." If they were, they had terrible manners. They didn't really introduce themselves properly. Haruto just knew that they were Michael's friends.

"There was one guy who left when I got there. I guess Dorssian royalty can be just as busy as us."

He smiled and rolled his eyes playfully, considering of that 'us' one was just here for vacation, apparently. "Yeah, Michael has a full schedule sometimes."

"'Michael'?", Shoko sat up slowly with a grin. "Is that his first name? You're on a first name basis with someone here? What's he like? Is he nice?"

Haruto turned away bashfully. Michael was more than nice. There was a slight pink to his cheeks. Shoko watched him with fascination. She'd never seen Haruto behave this way before. Michael must be special.

"We've been spending a lot of time together since I got here. He's been really...hospitable."

Her eyes narrowed. "Haruto, do you like him?"

His flustering provided a more than sufficient answer to Shoko's question. And she wanted to be happy for him, she truly did. But if Haruto, as a diplomat, was having feelings for this man. It would only lead to trouble. For her best friend and for their home country.

"Haruto. You can't have those feelings." Shoko put her hands in her lap and looked down, unable to look at his expression, which was surely heartbroken. "He could be trying to use you. Weren't you sent here to investigate corruption among nobility?"

"Michael's not like that. He's not one of them. He cares about the princess", Haruto defended weakly. He'd never considered that Michael might be using him. It couldn't be true.

"That's just what I mean. The princess is his priority. He's using you to protect her."

Haruto buried his face into his hands as it all came together. Michael was always asking questions about him and his work. He thought the other was interested in him but it was just intel gathering. Showing him the secret passage so that Haruto would be able to escape  _with_  the princess. And he never revealed a thing about himself. He really didn't care about Haruto at all.

"What am I supposed to do?", he asked. He didn't want to give up on Michael but if it was between this man who lied to him or his home...he would have to choose.

"You need to end it with him', Shoko said with a firm finality.

* * *

Michael had been alone, processing his feelings. Gil and Bijoux's fight had been a wake up call. Gil was right. He was getting too close to Haruto. The man was taking over him and he couldn't allow that. Princess Lieselotte was the most important person to him. He didn't have room for anyone else. Michael sat down in a chair across from his bed and considered his options.

"Oh? Haruto hasn't come in yet? Or maybe he's already taken care of his business."

"Knocking is an essential courtesy", Michael scolded Gil half heartedly. He didn't have the energy to deal with him right now.

"Friends don't need to knock", he smirked. "And I wanted to talk to you, one on one. We haven't gotten that chance recently."

"Because of Haruto?"

"Because of you. You won't allow yourself to be alone with me." Gil walked over and sat on the arm of Michael's chair. "You and I need to discuss some things regarding our home and these invaders."


	9. Date

It was a sleepless night for Haruto after Shoko dropped that bomb on him. He was just supposed to cut off any ties with Michael? Well, she didn't quite say that, but he knew what she meant. They had to keep it strictly professional. It would be difficult, given his budding feelings, but it had to be done. Michael could very well be one of the corrupt nobles who had it out for JIOR.

The next morning he meant to find Michael immediately and talk to him about all of this, maybe even talk to him about what he may be feeling. As luck would have it, they crossed paths in the hall. Instantly, any words died in Haruto's throat and he stood there silently. Michael hadn't left him there, so perhaps he had something to say too.

When Haruto finally gathered the nerve and parted his lips, Michael opened his mouth at the same time. They both caught themselves and looked away. Haruto felt awkward and wondered if Michael was too. This had never happened before. Then again, they had only known each other for a short time. It was so short. He wanted more. He wanted to know more about Michael.

He took a breath at the same time Michael did and was about to try speaking again. Michael had made the pace this entire time, and Haruto followed willingly and without protest. But not now. Not when he had something important to say.

"Michael. Let me talk first. I have something to say. When I'm done, you can say or do whatever you want." Considering the nature of it, it might be a punch in the face, but Haruto would be ready for whatever came his way.

"Michael Karlstein, I...might love you?" Haruto cringed at his own words. Where had his confidence gone?

Michael's face tightened. "'Might'? You would risk your position, for a 'might'?"

"I would risk it for hope." Haruto found a way to say what he was feeling. "I hope that you'll let me know more about you and that maybe I could truly fall in love with all of you, not just the parts that I know now."

"What if you don't fall in love with all of those parts?" They were too different. And any sort of relationship would encounter a conflict of interest. More importantly, if Haruto shied away from Michael's less attractive side, he risked losing a useful pawn.

"If I don't love the new things I learn...I would be sad. I really like you, I think I would like the rest too, but..."

"Let's make a deal. A bet if you will." Michael never gambled. But it isn't gambling if you know the outcome. "Tokishima Haruto, I will open myself up to you. If you do not fall in love with me, then you must obey my every command for an entire month." That should be more than enough time to get his use out of the man before tossing him away.

"And if I win? If I fall in love with you even after knowing all about you? What do I get?", Haruto asked.

Michael smirked, not even acknowledging the scenario seriously. "You may make the condition. It will never happen anyway."

Haruto frowned and made fists. "Then, if I win...if I win, you have to...have to...marry me. Marry me if I win."

Michael could have laughed. Haruto really didn't have any idea who he was dealing with. All of the skills he learned and this man wanted to make a spouse of him? That only confirmed that the JIORan knew nothing of him. And this gentle romantic would turn tail as soon as he found out. He was so caught up in his mental gloating that Haruto was able to take his hand and kiss the back of it.

"In that case, would you do me the honor of going out to dinner with me?"

Michael nodded and pulled his hand away. "Tonight, seven o'clock. Don't be late."

He had walked away before Haruto realized what had happened. Michael had accepted his invitation. They would be going on a date. A real, official date. Haruto pumped his fist into the air. He wanted to tell someone. Anyone. But he caught himself. He couldn't tell just anyone. He couldn't tell Shoko...His best friend and he couldn't say a word to her.

He wasn't sure if he could tell Saki. She might just lecture him like Shoko, especially since she didn't like his pop star friend. He might be able to tell Inuzuka. This was what he wanted, sort of. Maybe if he worded it right, he would approve. Haruto shook his head. He was an adult, already twenty-five. He could handle this on his own just fine.

It was just a date after all. What could possibly happen during a dinner?

* * *

About an hour before the designated time, Haruto received a message from Michael, giving him a location and directions. He was puzzled for a moment before understanding that he wanted to meet up there. It sounded pretty unromantic, but Haruto could work with this he looked up the restaurant, and it was pretty upscale. Dressed in a suit and tie, he stood outside the restaurant a few minutes before Michael was supposed to arrive.

Better late than early, right? A car drove up and Michael stepped out, dressed as formally as he was. Even so, Haruto couldnt help but think that sort of clothing suited the silver haired man better than him. Not that this was necessarily a bad thing. Michael looked great, he always did. He led the way while Haruto followed behind. The hostess took them to a table that was in a corner.

It felt pretty intimate for a first date but then Haruto reminded himself that they've already been  _very_  intimate. When it was time to order, Michael was prepared to speak for Haruto but was cut off by the man ordering for himself.

"So you can speak Dorssian", he confirmed what he already knew as the waiter walked off.

"Yeah."

"Why did you conceal it?", Michael inquired.

Haruto looked away sheepishly. "When you and Gil were speaking that first time, I figured it was a private conversation."

"Those words you said the other night, did you mean them?"

"Huh?", Haruto thought back to what he must have been talking about. Back when Gil and Bijoux were going back and forth in Dorssian and Haruto finally stepped in.

_"What sort of noble cozies up to a foreigner so easily? Isn't it disgraceful?", the corners of Gil's lips turned downward._

_"The only disgrace here is you. What Michael has with that man is strictly professional. If anything were going on, I'd know before you", Bijoux stated._

_"You don't think your beloved Michael would keep secrets from you? You're not his wife."_

_"If you don't stop denouncing his honor-"_

_"What honor does he have left if he's some JIORan's bitch-"_

_Haruto had had enough and spoke up. "Shut up! Michael isn't like that! If he ever keeps anything to himself, I'm sure he has a good reason. And he's not my bitch or anything like that. I have never once saw him that way! If you're really his friend apologi-"_

_"I'm here! I'm finally here!"_

That was when Shoko had entered and cut him off. His cheeks were the slightest pink at the memory. He hardly ever yelled at people, especially strangers. But everything that came from him was sincere.

"I meant it. All of it. I think if you ever kept secrets, there has to be something important about it that no one else can know. And...well, I've never thought that I owned you, or that you were beneath me."

It was really the opposite. Haruto was just an elected government official. He could lose his status depending on the voters wishes. He knew the prime minister well because he was friends with his daughter. On the other hand, Michael was royalty. That title was difficult to lose. Plus he was handsome, most likely well educated, a great kisser among other things.

If anyone was below the other, Haruto would give that role to himself. It only made sense. But he tried not to think about it. If he did, he would be reminded of all the reasons why this relationship couldn't work. He was looking down at the table and didn't notice Michael's hand slide across to hold his until he felt the warmth. Haruto looked up and smiled at the initiation of affection.

Michael wasn't smiling. His face was stony and serious. It should have foreshadowed the gravity of his next words but Haruto was preoccupied in the hand-holding that Michael himself had started.

"Tokishima Haruto. I've killed people."


	10. That's a Problem for Future Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They hold hands for the entire chapter

"We're the only ones who can understand each other. No one else. Who else can say they have the exact experiences? If we're not made for each other than we are destined to be alone. There will never be anyone that will love you as much as I do. Not if they know what you've done."

Michael took a breath. It was a beautifully sunny day, a little on the warm side. It made the fresh corpses by his feet rot all the more quickly. He turned to his squad member, thinking about his words. What a time to confess your love, right after a bloody victory. It didn't matter to Michael though. Whether Gil did it here or anywhere else and any other time, his answer would be the same.

"I respect you as an officer. But that is all I feel for you. I have no intention of pursuing a romantic relationship."

"Michael, I know you better than anyone. We were made for each other. I'm the perfect man for you..." Gil went on the Michael was done listening.

"I don't care how you feel about me. I already made it clear. I will not change my mind."

Distraught, Gil fell to his knees and his shoulders began to shake. "One day, you'll understand. You'll understand that the only one who will accept you is me."

* * *

Michael hadn't believed that those words affected him but they came to his mind with Haruto's confession. Could this man truly love him after learning about his past? There was only one way to confirm it. He had to tell him. Michael was a decorated officer and anyone in the Dorssian military knew of his accomplishments, as well as the royal family.

But Haruto wasn't either of those things. He was a diplomat from JIOR. If he knew anything, it was statistics of Dorssia's armies, their victories and losses. He wouldn't know the names of anyone in particular unless they stood out and for someone with his job it would take a lot for him to notice. Regardless, he wasn't a child. Tokishima must understand the struggles of war and those with bloody hands.

Would he still love Michael was the only question.

He reached out and grabbed Haruto's hand, as if that would soften the blow. "Tokishima Haruto. I've killed people."

The smile remained on Haruto's face but then it slowly fell, the realization sinking in. Michael waited for him to pull his hand away in disgust but it never happened. Haruto's eyes looked into his.

"What do you mean by that? Like for self defense?"

Michael shook his head. Of course he was looking for an easy explanation like that. One that absolved Michael of any crime. Life wasn't that generous. He kept his hand attached to Haruto's.

"It wasn't self defense. I killed them under the orders of my commander. They were enemies of the country."

The tension left Haruto's shoulders and he gave a weak smile. "So you were in the military? I didn't know that. I knew you were a noble but it never occurred to me that you served in the armed forces. What's your rank?"

"You're willing to ignore the murders I've committed because of that?" Michael tried not to feel a bit of relief at that. They weren't out of the woods yet. It felt as though Haruto didn't really understand what his past was like.

"There's not much helping it if you were ordered to do so. If you disobeyed, you could have been charged with treason. You can't really fight it."

Their food arrived but neither made a move to pull their hands away. Michael looked into Haruto's eyes, trying to figure him out and find any sort of deceit or underhanded reasoning as to why he would accept this so readily. Meanwhile, Haruto was performing the same action, although for him it was simply to enjoy the beauty of Michael's eyes.

It was hard to imagine someone so lovely killing people, but Haruto knew it to be true. That was war, after all. No one was spared. Even nobility had blood on their hands. He couldn't fault his man for something like that.

"You must be imagining that I am carrying some great guilt but that is not the case." Michael's grip tightened on Haruto's hand. "I don't feel ashamed nor do I regret taking those lives. It was just business."

"Was it fun for you?", Haruto asked.

Michael's eyes narrowed. "No." Unlike Robin, he didn't revel in battle.

"Has it ever been fun for you? Did you ever like any part of it?", Haruto pressed on, showing some conviction for once.

"Never. Murder isn't something I find entertaining."

Haruto let out a breath of relief and then looked down at their hands on the table. He smiled and intertwined their fingers. "Then nothing's changed. It's a bit of a shock for you to say it so openly, but I understand. You thought I would come to hate you if I knew this. But I don't."

"Even though I may have to kill again?", he challenged.

"I don't want that. People shouldn't have to kill others. There's always another way."

"That's certainly a naive way of viewing things. Just how are you going to keep me from killing people? Do you think you can keep me restrained?". Michael smirked.

"Not a chance", Haruto admitted without any hesitation. "But, war begins where negotiations end. If I do my job properly, you won't have to fight against my country."

"And what about other countries? You can't interfere in the relations between Dorssia and ARUS, for example."

"I...uh..." Michael was right. Unless there were talks involving JIOR, Haruto couldn't intercede. The only exception would be if the two sides agreed to having a neutral party present but that didn't happen often. But he still wanted to give some kind of answer.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it", Haruto's voice and expression were confident. And with that confidence he brought Michael's hand up to his lips to kiss it.

He sounded so sure of himself, Michael didn't think it was possible to sway him. This man believed in his words, even if they weren't well thought out. So for now he would have faith in them too. And they would cross the bridge together. Michael tugged his hand away, already missing the warmth but he wasn't about to let this food go to waste.

Michael began to eat and Haruto followed suit, unaware of the eyes watching them from not too far away.


	11. Found Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Romance! Scandal! Intrigue!

After dinner, the two left the restaurant, hand in hand, and returned to the palace. By the time they reached the gates, Michael had released his grip from Haruto's. The diplomat was a little sad at the lost contact but he understood. He wasn't sure what he was going to tell Shoko but he had to be honest with her. What he had with Michael was something new.

Haruto didn't date much. In all his life, he'd had two relationships. Both were happy ones, even though they ended eventually. But they were out in the open. His friends knew about them. He couldn't keep this secret for long. Maybe Inuzuka wouldn't be mad. He had wanted Haruto to get close to Michael in the first place. When his hand was let go of, he expected them to go their separate ways but that wasn't the case.

Michael gestured at him to follow and the two went back to the duke's bedroom. Haruto felt himself getting excited thinking about what could happen in this room but he was soon to be disappointed.

"There is something that I want to discuss with you", he began.

"What is it?" It had to be important if Michael didn't want to wait until the next morning. Was it related to what he'd said at the restaurant?"

"You will be returning to JIOR soon. When you go, please take the princess."

"The princess?" She kept coming up. Haruto realized that she was an important person, being royalty. But what exactly was she to Michael? Was she special to him?

"Something is about to happen here. I don't know which side will move first but I want to be certain that she is safe." His expression was so sincere, Haruto didn't think he could deny him anything at the moment.

"I'll make sure of it. We'll take her when we return. But what reason should we give?"

"I will suggest that she make a visit of good will as the Prime Minister's daughter."

Haruto had almost forgot that Shoko was here and did in fact have a part to play in all of this. "Maybe I can even introduce them. Shoko loves making new friends." And she was sort of a princess in her own right.

"Then we're agreed", Michael said, holding out his hand. Haruto looked to it for a second before taking it and kissing the back of it, earning a frown from his lover. "You were supposed to shake it in order to seal our plan."

"If it's a seal we're doing, isn't a kiss more appropriate, considering our relationship?"

Michael looked to the side, as if thinking it over. A kiss would be the most chaste and least incriminating of their activities. He closed the distance between them to press his lips against Haruto's. The other was still taken aback by Michael initiating a kiss, even after all this time, but he never hesitated to reciprocate. Michael pulled away first and licked his lips.

It was enough to make Haruto want to push him down onto the bed and see where a second kiss would take them. But he was almost certain that he could never push Michael down and that would earn him a slap in the least.

"You should return to your room. Good night."

Haruto nodded before finding his voice. "Yeah, good night." He gave Michael a final kiss on the cheek before leaving the room to go to his own. Haruto retired for the night, trying to figure out just who to tell and what about this night. Michael prepared for bed, trying not to think about how much he wanted to pull the other back for more than a kiss.

* * *

The next morning came and the moment Haruto left his room to attend breakfast, he was bombarded with Saki, Shoko, and Inuzuka, all trying to talk to him at once.

"All of you please! One at a time! Did something happen?"

"I can't believe you have the audacity to ask us that?", Saki crossed her arms, offended.

"Haruto, I warned you about this. I can't believe you didn't listen to me", Shoko frowned in disapproval.

Inuzuka sighed. "I just can't believe it. I thought you would have been more inconspicuous."

"What are you guys talking about? I can't understand if you don't tell me anything." Haruto's answer was Shoko's phone pushed into his face with a large headline that read  _'Intimate Negotiations?'_  with a video of a young Dorssian reporter.

 _"An anonymous tip provided us with exclusive pictures of local nobility, Michael Karlstein, having dinner with a currently unknown JIORan diplomat."_  To her right was a photo of the two of them in the restaurant from last night. You could only see the back of Haruto's head but Michael's face was in clear view. The picture showed Haruto bringing Michael's hand to his lips.

_"I'm receiving confirmation on the identity of the diplomat. His name is Haruto Tokishima. He was sighted earlier at a museum with the duke Karlstein during an outing with famous pop star Gil."_

Haruto gulped, unable to hide the guilty expression on his face. But why was he guilty? There was nothing illegal about international romance. This was just tabloid news, meant to entertain the masses. That's all it was. Shoko pulled her phone back.

"Do you know what they're saying about you? They think you're working for him. My dad called me earlier to ask about this and I don't know what to tell him!"

"I'm not working for him, I-" He cut himself off, thinking about last night. Michael had opened himself up to Haruto but then asked something of him right after. Was that his intention all along? To use him? Before he could think anymore, one of Michael's friends came down the hall. It was the one with dark hair and glasses.

"I have been ordered to escort you, Mr. Tokishima."

"Escort me where?"

"To the courtroom."

Haruto's eyes widened and he took a step back. "You guys are pressing charges against me? I don't get it. What did I do?"

Yonah's lips tightened and he adjusted his glasses. "Unfortunately, you are not the one on trial. Michael is."

* * *

"I always deliver, don't I fuhrer?", Gil smirked.

The fuhrer rolled his eyes at the boy's arrogance. "You may brag once Karlstein is on our side and the mission is complete."

"But with the trial, he'll be your prisoner and forced to obey you unless he wants the death penalty. Either way, you win."

"He is a valuable asset. I'd rather he be alive. But if he won't comply then it would be too risky."

Gil stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I suppose we have the sweet little JIORan to thank for this. Without him, we would have never caught Michael in a believable scandal. I think I'll go and make my appreciation known."


	12. Divorce Court

How could this happen? How could it all go so wrong? This was the stuff of period dramas meant to romanticize the passionate lover affair of two people from different factions. Two sides who were at war and could never reconcile. JIOR had been neutral for a long time. While their country had suspicions about Dorssia, there was never any hostilities. Haruto's ears became deaf as he was led to the courtroom.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. He was seated and the trial began, with Michael as the defendant. Haruto felt his heart race. The whole thing was a blur and suddenly Shoko was nudging his shoulder.

"Haruto! They've called you as a witness!", she whispered harshly.

He stood slowly and put one foot in front of the other to make his way to the stand. This just didn't seem real to him. He was sworn in and then the questioning began.

"Tokishima Haruto, is it true that your relationship with the defendant goes beyond that of your titles?"

"Huh? What...what do you mean?" He had to be careful with how he answered. One slip could mean death.

"I shall put it bluntly. Have you had sexual relations with the defendant?"

The crowd murmured, even though most must have considered that already. Haruto didn't understand what was wrong with that. Sure, they were both guys. Even though homophobic ideas still existed, same-sex marriage had been legalized long ago. He bit his lip. Why were they in the wrong? Because they were from two different places? It wasn't like they were conspiring.

"I don't understand what our relationship has to do with anything." In the crowd, he could see Shoko's hands go up to her cheeks while Inuzuka face-palmed.

"Your relationship, as you put it, is in question because the defendant is suspected of leaking information to JIOR through you."

"What?"

"That crime is punishable by either lifetime imprisonment or death, depending on the significance of the information."

"Michael never told me anything. We never talked about that sort of thing", Haruto protested. If he himself was on trial, it might be different. He'd certainly told Michael some things that he probably shouldn't have. But that wasn't important now. He had to clear Michael's name. He opened his mouth to do just that when an explosion sounded from behind him.

He covered his head as debris flied by him. There was panic in the courtroom. He looked across to where Michael sat as the defendant, his friends sitting behind in the audience, all trying to cover themselves. He stepped down and tried to run towards them when another explosion came, this time from the ceiling. His eyes met Michael's for a moment and just like that, his vision was clouded by smoke. Haruto felt an arm grab him and pull him away. The smoke continued to billow around until he found himself in a dark room.

* * *

 

"Pandemonium in the courtroom today when two bombs were set off, interrupting the trial of local noble, Michael Karlstein. Four injured, none dead-"

Saki turned the video feed off with a sigh. She sat in a room with Shoko and Inuzuka. Shoko had sprained her ankle during the bombing and was lying in bed.

"Dorssia is obviously too busy with their own thing. Shoko can't heal here. So you're going home", Inuzuka decided.

"What about Haruto?", she asked.

Inuzuka sighed. When it had all calmed down, Haruto was missing. Michael was too. Any moment now, the rumor mill would start up, probably painting them as eloping lovers or something of the sort.

"We...we can't think of that right now. The courthouse was bombed today. Which means the palace isn't that safe either. You need to get back to JIOR." He wasn't going to let the prime minister's daughter die on his watch. Or his friend.

Shoko looked like she wanted to protest, but refrained. Even she could understand the situation. "Saki, what about you? Are you coming with us?"

"It's probably not safe for a JIORan idol to be running around this hostile place." That and she was more than ready to get away from her rival.

"We'll leave within the hour", Inuzuka said, taking out his phone to make a few calls. Saki made some of her own to her manager. Forty-five minutes later, they were boarding a private jet, set to fly away to JIOR. It was secured to the level you'd expect when handling the Prime Minister's injured daughter. About an hour and a half into the flight, Saki went to use the bathroom, only to find Michael waiting there.

"Y-you!? What are you doing here?!"

Michael walked out and looked her up and down before walking through the aisle. Inuzuka got to his feet, his first directive to protect Shoko. There were three guards surrounding her who stood as well in response to the threat. Michael looked at them with boredom in his eyes.

"Where is Tokishima Haruto?"

* * *

 

There was something touching him. No, tapping. No, poking. Something was poking his cheek. It felt as though it was the size of a finger but not really finger-like. It was sort of rough and cold. Then something slightly larger was poking his head. He heard voices calling to him but he couldn't quite make out what they were saying.

"Ira, stop poking him with a stick. Robin, stop poking him with your gun."

"Che. We were just checking to see if he was alive." Robin put his gun away, pouting.

Haruto's eyes opened slowly and he groaned, feeling an ache in his head. He brought a hand to it and felt a small bit of blood. What happened to him while he was out? He sat up slowly and looked to find himself surrounded by Michael's friends, excluding one, the white haired one.

"He's up!", the red head exclaimed.

"What's going on?", Haruto asked.

Jonah adjusted his glasses. "You and Michael were on trial and then someone bombed the place. We're still unsure of their intentions."

"We were rescuing you, but some debris hit your head on the way out", Ira said, looking a little apologetic.

"I told him heads up, though!", Robin replied defensively.

Haruto stood up on shaky legs. "Where's Michael? And where are we?"

"We're underneath the palace", Jonah answered. "As for Michael...he's currently MIA."

"Maybe he really is a traitor and he ran off", Robin bounced on his toes.

"Michael isn't like that!", Haruto defended. "He wouldn't run away. And he wouldn't betray you guys. You're friends, aren't you?"

"The fact is, when he was accused of going against the nation, he fled", Bijoux came up, pointing a gun at Haruto. "And you're involved with it."

"What are you going to do?", he asked. His head was injured and he could barely stand. These were men trained in the military while Haruto was a civil servant. He couldn't fight back at all.

"You're going to help us figure out what's going on", Bijoux answered simply. "First question, how important is Michael to you?"


	13. The In-Laws

Saki glared at L-elf for the first half of the flight. Afterwards, it was clear that he didn't care and she focused her attentions elsewhere. Haruto was missing and now they had L-elf to consider. Saki was certain he wasn't dead. It was all too much of a coincidence. She didn't take too much of a political stance but that didn't mean she wasn't aware of the tension between JIOR and Dorssia.

"If Haruto is alive, then the corrupt faction must have him. He may have been rescued by my friends but we can not hope for that. In fact, more than likely, he died in that explosion at the courthouse."

"Why must you be so pessimistic?", Saki frowned. "You got out of there alive, as did the rest of us."

"That was no accident and he isn't trained to handle situations like that." There was a reason for that attack. A purpose. But the trial had been hasty, which meant their plan was too. Probability for success would be low. Did they complete their goal? What could it possibly be? Did they want to keep Michael from being arrested and executed? Or did they want Haruto?

If they wanted Haruto, he might still be alive. Or perhaps they fumbled in their plan and killed their target. Michael ran a hand through his hair. There were too many things to consider. He had been too hasty himself. He should have stayed and looked at the scene. He might've found a clue as to who had been behind it. It could have been his friends, trying to save him.

From their reactions, it couldn't have been the JIORans. They were too honest and couldn't pull off something like this. ARUS had no reason to interfere with the two countries' affairs. It had to be Dorssia.

"JIOR was in my country under the guise of facilitating a friendly alliance. But that isn't the true reason. Were you conspiring against the throne?"

"No", Inuzuka denied. "We were...", he looked to Shoko who nodded.

"We might as well tell him, after everything that happened.

"Our nation sent us, a team of diplomats, with the idea of getting close to some nobles, maybe hearing some gossip here and there that might point to someone. That's why Haruto was spending so much time with you", Inuzuka explained.

Michael nodded along until the last part. "That... that is why?"

Inuzuka nodded and Saki huffed. "Why else would he always be around someone like you? It's not like you were ever nice to him."

Michael looked out his window, not bothering to answer. He was lost in his own thoughts now.

* * *

"I don't...I don't understand."

"You're such an idiot, you know? How did Michael let you hang around him?"

"Now, now, be nice, Robin. Let's explain it one more time. What we want, is for the good of our country. What we want, is to get rid of the fuhrer, but the princess on the throne, and reform our government", Ira played with his piercing as he went over it again.

"And to do that you guys...blew up the courthouse?"

"We told you that wasn't us!", Robin sighed.

Haruto rubbed his head, careful of the bandages there. They had patched him up and now he was...well he wasn't quite sure but it looked like a medical place. Not really a hospital, though.

"Alright. I think I get it now. So, where's Michael?"

Ira looked down at his shoes, kicking at imaginary dust. "We don't know. We couldn't get to him during the chaos. And he wasn't among the dead or injured."

"Because he isn't dead", Bijoux came into the room. "He wouldn't die so easily."

Haruto wanted to believe that too. But he barely got out alive. Then again, Michael was a trained soldier. He was capable of such a thing. And all of his friends made it out. He was okay. He had to be.

"So what's our next move?", Ira asked.

"We go forward as planned", Bijoux said. He looked to Haruto. "And perhaps you can help us."

"Overthrowing your leader is a serious crime", Haruto pointed out.

Robin got close to his face. "So you won't do it? Even though Michael was behind this whole thing?"

"M...Michael was?"

"It was his plan from the start", Ira revealed. "We thought you guys were getting pretty chummy so you might be down with it. But maybe we were wrong. Maybe you were just using him."

"No! I would never! My feelings for Michael had nothing to do with this. If I had known...if he had told me, I could've helped."

"Then help us now", Bijoux told him. "Our goal is Michael's goal. By helping us, you continue his dream."

Haruto looked at them all. They, who knew Michael better than him. Perhaps better than he ever would now. He took a deep breath. He couldn't think that way. If Michael was dead then...then...

"Alright. I'll help you however I can."

Haruto's only injury was a minor one to his head, so he was taken out of the infirmary and given a room. He was told that this was their secret headquarters, but he still had no idea where it was or how many people were involved. He had seen a couple of people besides Michael's friends but that didn't give him a true scope of things. He was also pretty sure they were still in Dorssia but had nothing to confirm that idea.

"This was Michael's room. He was hardly here though", Ira mentioned. "We didn't need to be here often. But now the fight is serious. Feel free to personalize it!"

Haruto laughed emptily. "I don't have any things to do that with."

"Have fun~", Ira said, ignoring him as he walked away.

With a sigh, Haruto plopped onto the bed. He looked around. There really wasn't anything of Michael's around here, except for maybe some hidden weapons. He checked under the pillow and there was nothing but a photo of the princess. He laid down on the bed, staring at it until he fell asleep.


	14. Taking a Break

_"Michael."_

His hands were hot on his body. Soft lips on his neck gave way to teeth, leaving their marks. Despite himself, Michael heard a moan come from him. He couldn't deny how good it felt, to be touched this way. But it was more than that...

_"You feel so good..."_

How could he say such things so candidly? Did he have no shame? Or were all civilians this honest during sex?

_"You're so beautiful."_

Michael had been complimented before. Usually it was praise for his combat skills and tactical prowess. But the flattering comment on his appearance wasn't foreign to him. And yet this meant something to him, unlike the others. He wanted to hear it again and at the same time never again. Blue eyes looked on him with unconditional adoration.

"Don't look at me like that."

_"Like what?"_

"Like I mean something to you."

Michael opened his eyes and realized it had all been a dream. He wanted to scoff and say to himself 'of course it was'. But everything in it was so real. The sensation of Haruto's body against his, the sound of his voice, right down to the way he looked at him. Michael felt something wet on his face and was disgusted, thinking he had drooled. When it realized it was tears he was even more so.

He looked to the clock next to his bed. It had been five hours since they had made it to JIOR. Michael had been arrested and he allowed himself to be taken away. The representative who had greeted them said he was being detained for political reasons, so he wasn't in a jail cell. He was in a nicely furbished room in a council building. They had locked the doors and made sure it was three stories off the ground but that wasn't a problem for him.

He had no doubt that he could escape if he really needed to. And he didn't need to right now. Right now, he should be thinking of a plan. Soon enough, the JIORans would find out that he was a decorated war hero and put him in a more guarded room. Michael was trying very hard to do just that but he couldn't take his mind off the dream and what it meant.

Michael was no fool. He knew that it was about Haruto and his feelings for him. But now was not the time to be considering those things. They were on the verge of something. Perhaps not an all out civil war, but maybe a coup. Either way, the palace was now an even more dangerous place. And here he was, miles away from the princess.

He trusted his comrades to protect her. Michael didn't need to worry about her. But Haruto... If he was alive, then what would happen to him? Would his friends do whatever they could to help Haruto? Probably not. Michael could see how useful the man could be. But that was just because he had successfully seduced him and information from him.

Would Haruto tell his comrades such things so easily? Perhaps. But if he refused, well, Robin might be able to torture it out of him. Michael paused and frowned. He didn't want that to happen. He didn't want Haruto hurt.

"Not without reason", he said out loud, as if to prove to himself it was still a thought born out of logic and nothing else. He didn't want Haruto to get hurt without a valid reason. That was all. The door to his room opened and revealed Inuzuka on the other side.

* * *

Haruto was basically a prisoner. The door to his room was locked and he was fed on a schedule. There was a bathroom connected, so he didn't have to worry about that. When he tried to ask question he didn't get anywhere, regardless of what they were about. He asked about his fate, what did these people want with him? He asked about Michael and the other JIORans that Haruto had come with.

He wanted to believe that Michael was alive after that explosion, he really did. But all he could remember was shaking and large chunks of rubble blinding him, separating him from his love. Despite himself, Haruto smiled. He was so in love with Michael. He was in love with his hair, voice, eyes, the way he spoke, the way he walked.

Haruto knew he was completely captivated but he didn't care. But just as the feeling made warmth spread through him, a coldness stopped it when he realized he had no idea what happened to Michael. He couldn't even tell how long it had been since he woke up, but if the meals were any indication, it had been at least a day. Haruto wondered how long they would keep him in the dark like this.

He didn't have to wait long. Just a few hours after this thought, his door opened and someone stood in the way. Haruto looked up from his seat on the bed and saw that it was one of Michael's friends. Haruto couldn't quite remember his name, but he recognized him all the same.

"Come", he said, turning away from the door.

Haruto scrambled to follow him and caught up to walk beside him. "I've been in the dark for a while now. Are you guys finally going to spill the beans and tell me what's you're planning?"

The young man led Haruto to another room where the rest of Michael's friends stood, along with some people he didn't know.

"That's exactly what we intend to do."


End file.
